Whooping Cough

Whooping Cough

    * Introduction
    * Etiology
    * Clinical
    * Treatment
Synonyms: whooping cough, pertussis

 
Whooping cough (pertussis, whooping cough) is an acute bacterial infection of the airways. Whooping cough is triggered by bacteria Estate (Bordella pertussis), pertussis toxin producing.

Whooping cough is especially autumn and winter, making the transmission is through droplets Flügge. Besides the general symptoms of the disease are characteristic spasmodic bouts of coughing and long evolution of the infection (few weeks). Among the possible complications include pneumonia and apnea in children, which could also affect adults. Because treatment is usually started late, antibiotics do not influence the length and breadth of cough. Antibiotics can help but the infectious chain termination.

 
To prevent the occurrence of pertussis vaccination is recommended. In the case of young vaccination will be repeated in order to prevent whooping cough as adults.

Coping episode of whooping cough ensure lasting immunity (few years) but not for life. After a natural illness, the patient gains an immunity from four to twenty years, while the vaccination is effective for between four and twelve years. Therefore, it is recommended that youth and adults to renew their insufficient time to protect the vaccine, especially if they have contact with infants, young children to if they work with women who are pregnant or wish to become pregnant.

 
Definition

Whooping cough is an acute infection, bacterial origin of the airway. It is associated with coughs characteristic (life-threatening for infants) and, due to the high rate of infectivity, and affects all people without specific immunity, both children and adults.

 
Prevalence

Lately, increased incidence of new disease in industrialized countries, especially because vaccination is not considered. Although approximately 90% of school-age children are vaccinated, the vaccine is rarely returns to repeat. Therefore, there are more and more cases of disease among both children and adults. About 71% of patients are persons over 15 years, which means that adults shows a very worrisome potential for transmission of pertussis.
Although since 2000 recommended the vaccine for pertussis repeated in the range of new-age seventeen, this indication is not respected. Because of this, the repeat period of the vaccine age range was restricted to five or six years, during which the vaccine is usually administered for tetanus and diphtheria. Given that immunity following disease or vaccination is available only for a few years, justify the need to repeat the vaccine in time.